Chapter 282 Clues overlap
After Xia Lili hung up the phone, she immediately put on an anxious look and grabbed Xia Xubai's wrist: "Brother, let's go to Selma Avenue! Now!"
Xia Xubai frowned slightly: "Didn't Mingzhou specifically tell me not to go there at night..."
"He's got a bodyguard!" Xia Lili deliberately raised her voice. She pointed at the bodyguard, Carl, and said, "I heard from Detective Marty that this bodyguard is really powerful. How could those robbers and thieves dare to mess with him?"
At the same time, while adjusting her scarf, her fingertips quickly drew an "X" on the back of her brother's hand. This was the code they agreed upon when they played undercover games as children, a covert signal that meant "If something happens, cooperate with me."
Xia Xubai's fingertips trembled imperceptibly, then he shook his head helplessly and chuckled, "I really can't do anything about you. Let's go, I'll do as you say."
Xia Lili quickly typed on her phone: [Confirmed: Detective Marty of the Los Angeles Police Department is an undercover agent for a criminal organization.] and sent this crucial information to Li Qihan.
The phone vibrated quickly, but Li Qihan's reply made her stunned for a moment:
"You said before that in the foreseen kidnapping scenario, the kidnappers gave you two choices, but then suddenly killed you and abandoned your body in the early morning of the third day?"
Xia Lili frowned and replied, "Yes. I guess they may have encountered an emergency, or they may have decided that I have lost my usefulness."
The dialog box displayed "The other party is typing", and after a moment, a new message from Li Qihan popped up:
"I'm at the international airport, about to fly to Los Angeles."
Xia Lili was shocked when she received the news. Captain Li was also coming to Los Angeles. Could it be related to the transnational case that was being investigated recently?
Sure enough, the other party's next message confirmed Xia Lili's guess.
Li Qihan: "The latest location of the international criminal group 'Black Gold Maze' that we are tracking is shown in Los Angeles."
Li Qihan: "This organization is involved in major transnational financial crimes, and its modus operandi combines online cryptocurrency money laundering with violent crimes."
When Xia Lili saw this "online cryptocurrency money laundering", she couldn't help but think that the criminal organization that used stolen films to blackmail the film company also provided a link to purchase online virtual currency.
The other party asked the film company to convert the money they requested into encrypted virtual currency, so as to prevent the police from tracking the flow of money.
Li Qihan: "Because the activities of the Black Gold Labyrinth Organization also violate the laws of Country M, the Dragon Country police have applied through Interpol for a joint investigation."
"The contact person list provided by the Los Angeles Police Department—"
"There happens to be a Detective Marty."
Xia Lili was shocked when she saw the message.
She seemed to understand why Li Qihan was asking about the details of her hasty murder.
Li Qihan: "Based on the current investigation, we plan to carry out the arrest operation within the next week."
"Criminal gangs have been active in coastal areas recently, and the network IP addresses traced back to Goya Beach have been there."
Xia Lili was shocked, even the location coincided!
"The information you provided regarding Detective Marty's undercover operation is crucial. I suspect the voyeurism and extortion ring that kidnapped you is the same organization as the 'Black Gold Maze' transnational criminal group we're pursuing."
Xia Lili was shocked when she heard this. The international case that Li Qihan was in charge of was confidential, and she had not been aware of it.
But after he said that, it became clear that the two cases did have many connections: both involved cyber information technology crimes; both involved large-scale financial transactions; and most obviously, Detective Marty was involved in both cases, and both criminal organizations had members active in Longguo.
Li Qihan: "I presume that the early morning of the 27th should be the closing time we will determine with the Los Angeles police during our next meeting."
"Marty, the insider, leaked the information to the criminal gang in advance, which is why they were so anxious to escape. They couldn't take you hostage, so they had to kill you and dispose of your body."
Xia Lili was shocked after reading the news. This speculation really made all the doubts clear up. "Then what can I do now?"
Li Qihan: "You must first ensure your own safety, and leave the rest to me."
"Although we don't yet know the exact location of their hideout, we'll be able to confirm it after you're taken there tonight. We'll then organize a raid."
"Tomorrow night at the latest."
Xia Lili sighed and just hoped that everything would go well for Team Li.
According to international laws and regulations, police from one country do not have the power to exercise law enforcement powers, including shooting and arrests, on the territory of another country unless they obtain explicit authorization from the host country.
However, the relationship between Long Country and Country M is delicate, and there is no treaty such as joint law enforcement rights.
Therefore, Li Qihan cannot directly participate in armed actions here. He can only accompany as an "observer". He cannot carry weapons or intervene in conflicts.
The Longguo police provided intelligence and the Los Angeles Police Department carried out the operation.
After ending the encrypted call with Li Qihan, Xia Lili found that a layer of fine sweat beads had appeared on the palms of her hands.
She glanced at her phone screen - 19:20.
The special encrypted communication system on Xia Lili's mobile phone is a patent of the General Administration's Security Department. The message will be automatically deleted half a minute after being read, leaving no trace.
Her phone is reinforced with five layers of encryption and has a built-in anti-cracking program, so it will be locked immediately even if it falls into the hands of criminals.
During the conversation, she had remained alert, occasionally raising her phone to pretend to take selfies or street scenes. At this moment, her peripheral vision keenly caught the movement at the alley ahead.
An old man in a red Christmas suit was standing at the intersection of the main road and the alley.
Most of the old man's face was covered by a fake white beard. He had a kind smile on his face and was holding a bag of candy in his hand, distributing it to the children passing by.
Here it comes.
This Santa Claus was the one who kidnapped her in the hallucination.
Xia Lili clenched her fingers, and then, following the script in the hallucination, she said to Xia Xubai, "Brother, that candy cane is so pretty! I'll go buy one!"
Xia Xubai was hesitating when her bodyguard, Karl, stepped forward and said, "Miss Xia, I'll escort you there."
Then he said to the remaining bodyguards: "You must take good care of Miss Xia's brother's safety."
Xia Lili's eyes darkened when she heard Karl's words, and then a smile appeared on her face: "Let's go!"
Xia Lili came to Santa Claus, and then everything happened as if in a hallucination.
Xia Lili was knocked down by Santa Claus and bodyguard Carl and tied into the car. Her eyes went dark and she lost consciousness.
When I regained consciousness, the smell of damp mold and the salty smell of the sea breeze came to my nose.
Xia Lili found herself curled up in a dim basement, exactly the same as in her hallucination.
The real first-person experience is different from the God's perspective in the illusion.
Experiencing the feeling of being kidnapped for the first time, Xia Lili couldn't help but breathe faster.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com